Different Circumstances
by Katdoobe
Summary: What would have happened if Kate never went to work at NCIS? AU. Kibbs.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: What would have happened if Kate never went to work at NCIS?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. The rest belong to creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

Author's Note: This is a story in progress. I apologize in advance but updates might take awhile due to the real world. Thanks in advance for reading this one.

Spoilers: Yankee White. Everything else is AU.

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"I'm going to be doing paper work for a week"

"Oh Yeah. Me too"

Special Agent Gibbs of NCIS and Secret Service Agent Bauer walked down the aisle of Air Force One together, both oblivious to the hectic movements around them caused by the terrorist attack.

"Agent Todd told me about her and Major Kerry when she tendered her resignation"

It was amazing how one sentence could stop Leroy Jethro Gibbs in his tracks.

"Are you accepting?"

"No" Agent Bauer shook his head. "Agent Todd is one of the best we have. I'd be a fool to let her walk away."

Both men continued down the aisle together eventually coming to the door of Air Force One.

Agent Bauer offered his hand. "Well, thank you Special Agent Gibbs"

"Thank you sir."

Gibbs turned and started down the staircase, his eyes scanning the many reporters and agents in the area looking for that brunette he had come to know so well. He wasn't sure when it had hit him, but he was really going to miss Agent Todd's feistiness. At least he convinced himself that was what he would miss. The less responsible part of his brain would miss her smile, her laughter, and those eyes. Those deep brown eyes.

_If only they had accepted her resignation. _Gibbs shook that thought away. Those kinds of thoughts would only get him into trouble and he couldn't afford that. Not with three previous wives under his belt.

As he rounded the corner near the gates he saw her walking towards her car. His breath caught in his throat. Would this be the last time he saw her? He didn't want to miss saying goodbye so he quickly moved after her calling her name. She didn't turn around but her steps slowed down to wait for him.

"I heard you quit Agent Todd"

She smiled to herself. "Happy news travels fast. Yes I resigned. It was the right thing to do"

They came to stop next to her car where they stared at each other for a moment. Kate was the first to look away and for some reason Gibbs found that stimulating.

"They suspended me for a short time but Agent Bauer was confident I would be back on the Presidential Detail soon."

"That's good" Gibbs silently cursed himself as Kate turned to unlock her door. _That's good. Is that the best you can come up with? _"I'm sure it will be sooner than you than you think"

Kate opened her door and threw her purse onto the passenger's seat. She paused for a moment before turning back to Gibbs.

"I really have to thank you Agent Gibbs for everything that happened these past few days... Without you, I'm not sure I would have picked up on the threat" Kate paused and looked down at her shoes. "We may have lost the President because of it."

Gibbs watched Kate as she shuffled her feet nervously. He didn't know what to say to comfort her. These situations always called for reassurance and he didn't know if he was the right person to offer it. How was it an agent – no a woman like Kate could have such low confidence in herself?

After a moment, Gibbs tilted her chin up with his hand and stepped into her personal space. A part of him cheered silently when he heard her gasp at their proximity. He looked deeply into her eyes, willing her to believe him. "You would have been there for him Kate. You are a good agent. It's too bad you are still working with the Secret Service or I would steal you away"

They both gazed at each other, just enjoying the moment passing between them. Gibbs's heart started racing when he saw a haunted look pass over Kate's eyes.

"So I guess this is goodbye"

Gibbs was one person who could recognize an opportunity a mile away. She was leaving it up to him. Did he ask for her number? Ask to see her again? Would she want to see him again? Would she laugh at him?

"Kate, I…"

The sound of a horn interrupted Gibbs and he glanced over his shoulder while stepping away from Kate. A silver convertible he knew too well waited for him in the distance.

Gibbs turned back to Kate. "That's my ride"

Kate looked over his shoulder. "Of course." She turned back and offered her hand. "It was wonderful working with you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs took her hand in his and ran his finger over her knuckles. "Likewise, Agent Todd"

He dropped her hand and took a few steps back. _Just keep walking._

When he made it to the car he jumped into the passenger seat and snuck a glance at Kate as he shut the door. She waved to him and he acknowledged her with a nod.

"A friend of yours?"

Gibbs turned to his companion and smiled. "Just a fellow agent"

He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He didn't want to ponder why he had felt the need to lie to her. Accepting the end of the conversation she slipped the car into drive and pressed down on the accelerator. As they sped out of the parking lot, Gibbs looked back to where he left Kate. He watched as she stepped into her car and he found himself wondering if they would ever see each other again.

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Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: What would have happened if Kate never went to work at NCIS?

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

Spoilers: Chapter One - Yankee White. Everything else is AU.

Author's Note: This is a story in progress. I don't know Kate's medical history but let's assume she had incredible teeth. Also I may have taken some liberties with her family. I know she has brothers but I don't know their names.

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Caitlyn Todd never liked visiting her sister in law Shannon. It wasn't that they didn't get along, they never really fought, but Shannon had very particular ideas about what a woman should be and Kate didn't fit into her cookie cutter mold. Every time Kate got back from a trip with the President, Shannon would insist that she join them for lunch or dinner and then she would use those visits to question everything in Kate's life, which is why Kate found herself sitting outside on the back porch hiding.

The porch became a sort of safe-haven for her during these visits. She loved to sit there and watch the sky and the clouds and just enjoy the feeling of nature. They may live right outside the city, but her brother's backyard felt like the woods. The sky was so blue it almost took her breath away. Plus the sun would beat down on her so she could feel its heat on her skin. It was wonderful, and she should have been happy but she wasn't.

Kate was a woman who had her act together. She was successful in her job, active in her local Catholic community. She owned a reasonably priced home in a good neighborhood, and had never once had a cavity. But if there was one area in her life that was lacking, it was her relationships. It wasn't for a lack of dating, her friends would set her up on any number of those, but anyone who knew her soon realized that every man they might set her up with would ultimately be compared to the "mystery man."

None of them knew who the mystery man was, but they all knew he existed. They could tell by the way she would drift off in the middle of a conversation or the way she would always rub the back of her hand. But mostly in the way she developed a sudden interest in the smell of sawdust. When asked about it, she would just smile softly and say that it reminded her of someone.

She was thinking of that someone now. As she hid from her sister in law, she pondered all about Special Agent Gibbs. It had been a year since they worked together on Air Force One and Kate couldn't forget his eyes. The way he had looked at her those last moments together had sent chills through her body she swore she felt in her bones.

_I wonder_ Kate thought to herself,_ if he is still with the red head_.

Kate shook her head slowly to try to refocus her energy on the here and now. All she needed to do was get through lunch then she could drive home and sink into a carton of ice cream and not concentrate on what Agent Gibbs might be up to.

"Katie! Lunch is almost ready!"

Kate rolled her eyes. She hated that nickname. If she had a penny for every time she told someone not to call her Katie she would be worth millions by now. "I'm coming!"

She stood up quickly and swiped the dirt off her jeans walking towards the door and into her brother's kitchen. Shannon and her brother Mike's house was something right out of a magazine. Kate smirked to herself as she picture Shannon in a 50s get up poising with their kids in front of the stove with a cooked turkey in her hands.

Shannon was currently pulling a lasagna dish out of the oven. She was the only person Kate knew who would cook a full meal for lunch when most people would have been fine with a sandwich.

Kate just watched her for a moment before asking, "Do you need any help with that?"

Shannon glanced back over her shoulder. "Nope I have it all under control. I wanted to mention that I invited one of oldest friends over for lunch today."

Kate groaned to herself. _This means another blind date. Lovely. _

Shannon moved the lasagna over to the counter and started to work on the salad. "I wanted to let you know before he got here in case you wanted to freshen up"

Kate forced herself to swallow her immediate reaction. "Ok. I'll just run upstairs real quick"

Shannon didn't even glance up from her tomatoes as Kate backed out of the room. "If you need to borrow any make up feel free to raid my bathroom drawers."

Kate slowly made her way to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She took a long look in the mirror at herself. Kate felt she was attractive, maybe not a stop-traffic kind of attractive but pretty. She was just a no-nonsense kind of girl. A Secret Service Agent didn't need to have a flawless face to protect the President. She certainly didn't have the vivacious looks that red head tended to have.

_Enough Kate. Stop thinking about him. _Kate shook her head and turned to the sink. She tossed a bit of water on her face. She could just come clean with Shannon about why none of the blind dates worked out so she would stop setting her up, but that would mean admitting to herself that she was hung up on Gibbs and she didn't want to set herself up for that kind of heartbreak. _It's not like he is thinking about you. _

As Kate finished up in the bathroom she could hear the blind date arrive. She took one last glance in the mirror and then made her way downstairs.

She turned the corner and saw a man she estimated to be in his late 30's, medium build and height with blond hair and a confident smile. Suddenly feeling self-conscience, she smoothed out her hair and braced herself for the inevitable introduction.

Shannon turned to see Kate coming into the room. "Ah Kate, there you are. This is my old friend Charlie Ryan. Charlie this is Mike's younger sister Caitlyn."

Kate extended her hand. "You can call me Kate."

Charlie grasped her hand firmly. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you"

Kate smiled. "You have?"

"Sure. Shannon has been talking about you for the past few months"

"Is that so?"

Shannon smiled secretly. "Well Charlie just broke up with his girlfriend and I couldn't help but think you two would be perfect together"

Kate grimaced. _Oh God. I'm such a lost cause she is setting me up for a rebound relationship_

Charlie cleared his throat. "It's not as bad as it must sound. Sarah and I weren't serious. We barely knew each other.

Kate nodded to acknowledge hearing him but that didn't stop her stomach drop. _This is so pathetic. My date is trying to make me feel better. _

Shannon looked at both of them cautiously. "Well, lunch is ready. Why don't we move into the dining room?"

Shannon led the way out of the room and Charlie offered Kate his arm. "Shall we Shirley?"

Kate smiled and laughed quietly at his joke. "We surely shall."

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Gibbs settled back against the ballroom door. Tonight was the annual NCIS/JAG charity dinner. He hated these things…these parties. He always felt self-conscious. It seemed everyone else had been born with some social skill that he lacked. Some gene that made them adept at small talk and other nonsense while he floundered around.

His eyes scanned the room looking for his team members. Tony was on the dance floor as he expected. It seemed he had waltzed with every blonde and brunette in the room tonight. Ducky was no-where to be found but Gibbs was sure that he was off somewhere telling one of his stories. Sarah, his newest team member was across the room in deep conversation with some fellow agents. Abby and McGee were currently engaged with each other at their table. He suspected that their arguments were simply a build up to what would eventually happen when they got home.

Relationships. That was something he didn't have the talent for. Or at least women thought he didn't have the talent for. He was just a no-nonsense guy. He wasn't about flowers or jewelry. He just wanted someone who would want to be with him at his home, drinking a beer or working on the boat.

_I bet Kate would have enjoyed that._

He had been thinking about her a lot recently. If he was honest he hadn't stopped thinking about her for the past year. Something about her had gotten under his skin and he couldn't wash it off. He had eventually broken it off with Lauren. They hadn't been the same since that night. It may have taken them months to realize that but eventually it had all broken down and she left, throwing his tools at him as she went.

_Good riddance. _Gibbs thought as he made his way into the bar area of the hotel passing some partygoers on the way. _If you couldn't join them, might as well have a drink._

He sat himself down at the corner stool and the bartender approached him. "What can I get you?"

"Bourbon" Gibbs smiled as the bartender gave him a look he knew to well. "I know, not many people order Bourbon anymore."

The bartender nodded "Not many people take the time to enjoy it. They just want a quick fix"

Gibbs laughed as his drink was poured. "That's what is the matter with kids these days"

A small group made their way to the other end of the bar so Gibbs turned his attention to the bar televisions. Today's top story was the President returning to the White House from a short vacation at his home in Texas. Stories about the President always caught his attention. A small part of him hoped he would catch a small glimpse of Kate in the background.

Her eyes had been burned into Gibb's memory since that night. They were brown, almost almond, but they had a small ring of green on the outside. After Lauren left, he always thought he should look Kate up and ask her to dinner. Or perhaps they would start off with drinks to keep it casual. He found himself running through hundreds of scenarios of how their dates would play out, fantasying on what their first kiss would be like. He was in the midst of that particular train of thought when he was interrupted.

"Hey Boss-man"

Gibbs signed into his drink as Tony slapped him on the back. "DiNozzo"

"What are you doing here at the bar? You should be out there socializing." The Bartender walked over to join the pair. "Can I get a gin and tonic please?"

The Bartender and Gibbs shared a look as the Bartender started to fill Tony's order. "Ok what is going on?"

"That's a bit of a girly drink isn't it Tony"

"Look Boss. This particular drink is for a remarkably attractive blonde woman, with legs so long they could go on forever and a smile that could light up the room"

The Bartender placed the drink in front of Tony. "Must be one hell of a woman."

Tony flashed his signature smile to the Bartender. "You bet." He dropped a $10 on the counter and glanced quickly up at the TV. "Hey! Isn't that the Secret Service chick?"

Gibbs head swung around. Sure enough there on the screen was Kate stepping down off of Air Force One right behind the President. It was just a glance of her but Gibbs felt a warm flush rise up in his cheeks. He took a quick sip of his bourbon in hopes that would calm him.

"Yeah I think it is. I wonder how she is doing? We should drop by her office sometime and see if we can borrow her plane again." Using the mirror behind the bar, Tony quickly fixed his hair quickly before he grabbed the drink. "See you tomorrow Boss"

As Tony walked away, Gibbs took one last look at the screen before downing the rest of his drink. Someday he was going to have to face Caitlyn Todd again. But until then, he would continue to work on his boat and imagine what that day might bring.

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Please Review if you have time.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: What would have happened if Kate never went to work at NCIS?

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

Spoilers: Chapter One - Yankee White. Everything else is AU.

Author's Note: This is a story in progress. Just so you know in advance, I'm not so great at writing and setting up crimes. I can never think of all the little parts you need. Oh well. I don't know anything about Secret Service procedures I made it all up and I had the President's code name as Eagle because that's what is was on West Wing.

Thanks for all the reviews!

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Chief Warrant Officer Richard Townsley was notorious for being late. When Monday morning rolled around, he could be found rushing through the crowds outside the White House trying to make his way to security to be signed in. This particular Monday morning was no different. He rushed across Pennsylvania Ave, dodging tours and random protestors as he passed.

When he finally found himself at the front entrance to the West Wing. Richard waved to the security guard as he showed his credentials. "Morning Lewis"

Lewis looked up from his post at the computer and smiled. "Chief Townsley. Running late this morning I see. Must be Monday"

"You know me too well"

"What was it this morning?"

"Debbie and I had a small fight"

"Nothing serious I hope"

"No. Just the basic marriage fight over who unloads the dishwasher"

The two men laughed together and Lewis waved Richard through the medical detector. Richard moved to take his coffee with him, but Lewis stopped him. "Coffee's got to go through the scanner Chief"

"Right I always forget that" Richard handed his coffee cup over to Lewis's assistant who placed it in a computer scanner.

"I don't know how you always forget, we go through this every morning. You should just get a cup of Joe inside. It will save a lot of time for you"

"You know the mess coffee tastes awful. Plus Debbie would never forgive me if I didn't drink her coffee."

The computer scanned the coffee cup and gave it a beep of approval. Lewis grabbed the cup from the assistant, passed it over to Chief Townsley as the gates unlocked.

"You take care now Chief."

"Sure thing Lewis"

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"Good morning Agent Todd"

Kate looked up from her locker in the basement of the White House to see her supervisor Agent Bauer smiling down at her.

"Morning" Kate shut her locker after making sure her earpiece and gun were securely in place. "What have we got this morning?"

"The President has had a few morning meetings added to his schedule before we depart for Camp David. I'd like you posted on the outside of the main door into the Oval so you can shadow him today."

Agent Bauer and Kate made their way through the basement and up onto the main floor of the West Wing.

"Isn't that Rodger's post?"

"Rodger called in this morning. His wife had some medical emergency last night and he didn't get home until 5 this morning. I can't have him shadow on that little sleep"

"When does Eagle move?"

"Lift off 1300"

Kate glanced down at her watch to calculate the time. "What meetings were added?"

"Some sort of classified military plan."

"Any unknowns?"

"Nope. All attendees have been previously vetted. But we should keep a close watch on him just the same."

Kate smiled to herself as she remembered Agent Bauer's motto _Expect the unexpected and with a little luck you will never loose a President_.

"Yes sir"

Kate and Agent Bauer came to a stop right by the communications bullpen. "Agent Pavri is on side door with Agents Sedrowski and Farrell outside on the Rose Garden. You'll be the point person for the Oval Office. Communications to you are running on line 3."

Kate reached to her back and adjusted her walkie to line 3 and quickly tested her sleeve mic. When she heard a conformation in her ear she turned back to Agent Bauer. 'Did you need anything else sir?"

Agent Bauer looked over Agent Todd for a moment and considered the question. He had been watching her closely over the past year and had been silently congratulating himself for not letting her resign. Agent Todd had proven to be a great asset to the Secret Service and his bosses had just started to realize that. She didn't know it yet, but she was being considered for a higher-level position within the service on the First Lady's detail. Todd had always wanted to plan security details and this new position would make her the lead agent in charge of protecting the First Lady. It wasn't the Presidential detail but the lead agent in charge of a protectee would have 50 or 200 agents working for them at any given time. He knew this would be a good step for her when the time came.

"No Agent Todd. I believe that is all."

Kate nodded to him quickly before she turned and moved into her position next to the main door outside the Oval Office.

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"Can I get you something to drink dear?"

Richard looked up quickly to see Mrs. DeFrehan, one of the President's many assistants looking down at him. "No thank you." He held up his coffee cup and took a sip. "I brought my own"

Mrs. DeFrehan smiled and moved on to the next official down the line. There were 7 of them cramped into a waiting room to the side of the Oval Office. The President was running late again so their meeting had been pushed back.

Richard took the chance to survey his surroundings. Two years ago he had been appointed to his position of Chief Warrant Officer at the White House. Chief Warrant meant he specialized in a particular department, in his case missile defense. He had previously been working under the direction of the Homeland Security Director to help build a more sophisticated missile defense system. Being asked to join the White House team had been a thrill. _Not like I could tell anyone about it though._

His job was top secret. No public entities knew about the new system the government was planning and even less people within the government knew how the system worked. This meeting with the President was to discuss final plans before actual construction began.

Before he had taken this assignment he had only been in the White House once or twice and even after he started working here, he still got chills within it's walls. The White House was the most powerful building in the world and he worked there. Richard smiled to himself. _If only the kids back in high school could see me now. _

Deciding he needed to stretch his legs before the meeting, Richard grabbed his coffee cup and walked into the room immediately outside the Oval Office to look out the window. He noticed there was a new Secret Service Agent positioned next to the door. As he looked out the window he watched her out of the corner of his eye. _Must be her first day on the Presidential Detail_. He glanced down to her left hand. _No ring. Maybe she is a career girl._ As his gaze moved back up onto her face he saw her watching him. _Busted._

"Can I help you with something?"

"No. I just needed to stretch my legs." Richard backed away from the window and headed towards Kate. He laughed as she moved to block entry into the Oval Office. "Don't worry, I was just coming to introduce myself. I'm Richard"

Kate watched carefully as Richard held out his hand. She nodded in acknowledgment before answering. "Agent Todd."

Richard took a sip from his coffee cup. "I haven't seen you here before. Normally there is a gentleman here. I can't think of his name, but it started with an R. Nice fellow. He actually shook my hand."

Kate watched Richard very skeptically. He obviously belonged in the White House, she could tell by his military uniform but something was off. He seemed to be sweating a bit which was unusual for the cool weather outside. She eyed his coffee cup as he kept drinking.

"Would you like some coffee" Richard asked. Kate looked up surprised. "Sorry, I just noticed you looking at it. My wife makes it for me every morning. She knows how much I hate the crap from the mess"

Kate smiled. "No thank you. I had my fill for today"

"Right. You probably couldn't drink on the job anyway"

They stood there together for a moment. Kate's eyes made her way over the room again to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. When her eyes made it back to Richard she noticed him wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "Are you ok?"

Richard glanced up at her as he folded his handkerchief and tucked it into his pocket. "I'm fine. Probably just nerves."

"Big meeting?" Kate asked.

"Yeah" Richard admitted.

Just then the door opened and Kate stepped to the side as some suits stepped into the room. Richard quickly left to grab his briefcase as Mrs. DeFrehan called his group into the Oval.

Richard paused in front of Kate and quickly drank the rest of his coffee cup before turning to Mrs. DeFrehan. "Do you mind if I just leave my cup here? I don't want to bring it into the meeting but my wife will kill me if I loose another one."

The older woman smiled at him, "Of course dear. You can pick it up on your way out."

"Great." Richard turned to Kate. "Nice meeting you, Agent Todd"

"Good luck"

With a quick thanks Richard walked through the door into the Oval Office and Kate shut the door closed behind him.

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"Sir I think you need to be aware of what our allies would think of a system like this."

Richard reached up and loosened his tie. The meeting had only been going for about 15 minutes but it felt like hours to him. He was still sweating and worse his head had exploded with pain and the feeling of nausea was overwhelming. From the corner of his eye he saw his superiors looking at him strangely. He knew loosening the tie was against Marine dress code but he just needed to get some air. He had thought about trying to excuse himself but you can't just walk out on the President.

"I think I'd like to hear what the Chief has to say about his program"

Richard looked up into the face of the President. "Of course Sir." He picked up his notes and noticed his hand was shaking slightly. "We will need to place…"

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Kate found herself drifting out into space when she heard the President shout from inside the Oval Office. She hit the red panic button to her left, then quickly drew her gun, kicked opened the door and made her way inside. The window covers were lowering to prevent anyone from seeing inside the Oval. Agents Sedrowski and Farrell had the President secured and were already escorting him through the side door on their way to the Residence. Kate quickly surveyed the room. Everyone was standing over by the second couch where Richard was on his side convulsing.

"This is Rosefern, we have a medical emergency in the Oval Office. Repeat a medical emergency in the Oval Office"

She reached down to help stabilize Richard's head. "What happened?"

Another Military Officer spoke up. "I don't know. He had just started to brief the President when he just collapsed."

Kate moved her hands to Richard's chest and started to administer CPR. "Did he share any food with the President or touch him at all? Did he hand anything to him?"

"No. Ma'am"

Kate reached down to take Richard's pulse as Agent Bauer arrived with a medical team and another dozen agents who quickly secured the room. The medical team worked on Richard while Agent Bauer pulled Kate aside. "What happened Agent Todd?"

"I was standing at my post when I heard the President shout. I hit the panic button then drew my gun and stepped inside. The President was secured and I moved to stabilize Richard. He was convulsing and there was a small amount of what looked like vomit in his mouth."

"Do you think this was an attack on the President?"

"No sir. There was no contact between the two of them. They didn't share any food or drink and didn't touch."

The medical team who had been working on Richard took a step back away from the body. The lead Doctor looked up at Kate and Agent Bauer. "There is nothing we can do. He is already gone." The Doctor called the official time of death then moved to pack up his supplies.

Agent Bauer quickly took control of the room. "Ok everyone. You all need to move into the Roosevelt Room so Agents Pavri and Todd here can take your statements." He turned to Kate. "Secure the Communications bullpen and Chief of Staff's wing. Make sure this room stays how it was until the investigators are here."

"Should I call Agent Fornell?" Kate asked.

Agent Bauer looked at Richard lying on the ground and paused. "He is a dead Marine."

Kate looked up at Agent Bauer in surprise. "You want me to call NCIS?"

Agent Bauer nodded while keeping an eye on the room. "Call up Agent Gibbs from the Air Force One case. Have him and his team come take a look. I trust them with this." He looked back to Kate. "But I want you to be in on every step of the process. You go where they go. Follow what they do and if anything seems funny we will turn this investigation over to the FBI"

"Sir you had me shadowing today, we leave in 2 hours." Kate protested.

"I need you to do this Kate. You know these agents. Handle this case until we can rule out any attack on the President and then you can meet up with Eagle. Will that be a problem Agent Todd?"

Kate just stood there in shock. _Call Special Agent Gibbs? Work with Special Agent Gibbs?_ She promptly shook her head. "No sir. No problem." _No problem at all._

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Please review if you have time.


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: What would have happened if Kate never went to work at NCIS?

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

Spoilers: Chapter One - Yankee White. Everything else is AU.

Author's Note: This is a story in progress.

Thanks for all the reviews!

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Tony DiNozzo was bored; so terribly bored. You would think based on his job description that he would never have a lack of something interesting to do but sure enough even crime had a dry spell. He had tried to amuse himself with video games, attempted to reminisce with Ducky down in autopsy, and even tried to learn sign language from Abby but nothing was preventing the torture of having absolutely nothing interesting to do.

Tony turned around in his chair, put his feet up on his desk and looked across the room at his team member Sarah. Theirs was an interesting relationship. For the most part they got along; they laughed at each other's jokes and Sarah was always up for a little harmless flirting. Some of their co-workers thought it was a bit more than harmless flirting but Tony tended to ignore the water cooler gossip, at least in that case.

Sure he liked her, everyone did. Sarah was an attractive woman and Tony hadn't failed to notice that. She had short reddish/brownish hair, green eyes, and a wicked smile that could send his heart for a loop if it was meant just for him. But Tony was honestly more attracted by her wit. She kept him on his toes. She wouldn't let him get away with too much but always had his back with Gibbs. He trusted her with his life and that said a lot, as Tony was not a guy who easily trusted.

When bored, it had always been Tony's motto to bug his co-workers and since McGee was not to be found, Sarah would have to do. He eyed the paper clips on his desk thoughtfully. _10 points if I hit her on the nose. _ He took a few out of his holder and starting throwing them at her desk.

The first hit the back of her computer and dropped harmlessly to the floor, which earned him a raised eyebrow. The second paperclip landed on top of her coffee cup, which earned him a glare. The third paperclip landed in her trash, which didn't earn him any response at all. But the fourth paperclip was a gem. It hit her square on the nose.

"DiNozzo!" Sarah's yell could be heard all around the bullpen.

Tony feigned innocence. "What?"

"You know exactly what. Stop throwing paperclips at me. I'm trying to work"

'Work on what?"

"Unlike some people Tony, when we have no active cases I spend my time going over cold ones in hopes of picking up a new lead. Perhaps that will save you from your boredom."

Tony scoffed. "Do work when Gibbs isn't here? That's a waste."

Sarah smiled softly at Tony. "When the boss is away the mouse will play."

Tony smiled right back at her. "Exactly."

"What was that DiNozzo?"

Tony's smile faltered as Sarah's grew bigger. "He's behind me isn't he?" Tony was rewarded with a slap to the head. "That's not nice Boss."

"They don't pay me to be nice. Gas up a sedan we have a new case."

Both Tony and Sarah spurred into action. Tony caught the keys from Gibbs and Sarah picked up her cell phone to call McGee. All three grabbed their bags and made their way to the elevator.

"We aren't taking the truck on this one Boss?"

"No Tony, they would like us to be as discreet as possible"

"Discreet? Where are we going?" Sarah asked Gibbs.

"1600 Pennsylvania Ave." Gibbs responded as the elevators doors closed.

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"The White House"

"Yeah Tony. The White House. Amazing you could pick up on that, it's only the most famous address in the world"

Gibbs listened from the driver's seat as Sarah and Tony bickered in the back of the car. Those two may be two of the brightest agents he had ever worked with but they sure knew how to drive him crazy. He looked down at his watch for the hundredth time since getting in the car. Sitting in traffic for the last 10 minutes was not helping his mood improve.

He had been on edge since he was called into the Director's office that morning. Chief Warrant Officer Richard Townsley had died in the Oval Office during a meeting with the President and his team was being requested to take the lead on the investigation by the Secret Service because of the pre-existing relationship he had developed with them during the Air Force One madness.

However the case wasn't what had him on edge. He had been in the White House before and for all he knew the guy died of natural causes. What had him on edge was the knowledge that Caitlyn Todd was being assigned as his team's handler inside the White House. The day he had been dreading and waiting for had finally arrived and he was scared out of his mind.

"Boss, it's the next left."

Gibbs looked over at McGee quickly before veering to make the turn. The White House stood out in front of him like a beacon and all he could do was move forward. _Here we go._

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Kate was a mess. Standing in the lobby of the West Wing she looked the picture of confidence but inside she had never felt so flooded.

"Hey Kate."

Kate looked away from the door long enough to recognize her friend Marcie before she turned her attention back to the guard station. "Hey Marcie."

Instantly Marcie knew something was up. Kate was never this distracted. "Is something going on?"

"Just waiting for the NCIS agents to get here."

"Well, I wanted to see if you wanted to catch lunch sometime? Maybe tomorrow? Are you in town?" Marcie asked

"Um. I don't know. Look Marcie can we talk about this later. I just need to focus here for a bit"

"Alright give me the dirt"

Kate looked at Marcie puzzled. "Dirt? What dirt?"

"You're acting funny."

Kate shrugged. "I'm not acting funny"

"I know you like the back of my hand Todd. Now give. What's the good word?"

Kate sighed to herself. Marcie knew all her tells and she could never get out of this conversation without throwing Marcie a bone. She was about to spill her guts when her walkie began to go off in her ear.

"Agent Todd the NCIS agents have just passed through gate security and are on their way to the West Wing lobby." Kate spoke into her sleeve mic to confirm the call and made her apologies to Marcie.

The anticipation of seeing Gibbs again was getting to her. Little black dots were taking over her vision and the sounds of the lobby intensified from what she assumed was all the blood rushing to her head.

She had chosen to watch the door carefully from afar while waiting for their arrival. She didn't want to seem overly anxious by ambushing them at the entrance. When he finally walked into the lobby to sign in with the guard Kate thought she might fall over. She had never felt so overwhelmed in her life and she just wanted it to stop.

He hadn't seen her yet so she took the moment to study him. If it was possible he looked even better now than he had on Air Force One. He had let his hair grow out a bit which made his haircut look less silly and his skin looked a bit darker like he had seen some sun over the summer. She had just moved to look at his eyes to see if they were the same color she had remembered when his eyes shifted to meet hers.

The shock she felt was instant. She smiled softly and held her hand up in a little wave and was greeted with a smile in return. Her heartbeat quickened as Gibbs slowly made his way to her and she had to remind herself to breathe.

"Agent Todd" Kate was sure her name, as formally spoken, had never sounded so good.

"Agent Gibbs. It is nice to see you again." She stuck out her hand and he grasped it firmly. Instantaneous warmth flooded through her as their hands connected and Kate was sure she was flushed. They stood like that for a few seconds, although it felt like hours, until she heard someone clear their throat.

Kate looked to her left and saw the rest of Gibbs's team standing to the side observing their little reunion. Suddenly feeling very self-conscience Kate stepped back a little from Gibbs and closer to his team into what her mind decided was neutral territory.

Gibbs for his part was a little annoyed at Ducky's interruption. Kate's hands had been as soft as he remembered them being and he had not wanted to let go. When he had seen her looking at him across the room his body temperature had risen to an ungodly height. As he had walked towards her he had taken a moment to commit the sight to memory. Her hair had grown longer and she had grown out her bangs. There was also something different about her stance and the way she moved altogether. She looked a bit more relaxed and more confident. He smiled softly at the idea that she had grown more comfortable with her position in the Secret Service. Her eyes though were exactly as he had remembered them in his dreams. They still held that sparkle that even now was enough to make his knees weak.

Those eyes were looking at him now silently asking him to introduce her to the rest of the team. "Agent Todd, you remember Agent DiNozzo and Ducky from Air Force One."

"Of course. Nice to see you both."

Ducky stepped forward to hug Kate. "Caitlyn my dear. It is so lovely to see you again. Too bad it is under such circumstances. This reminds me of the time…"

Ducky trailed off as Tony stepped in front of him. He took Kate's hand in his, raised it to his lips and laid a quick kiss on the back of it. "Nice to see you again Agent Todd."

Kate blushed at his attention while Gibbs fumed silently. He slapped Tony's hand away from Kate and Tony shot her a quick smile.

Kate turned her attention to the remaining members of the team she had not met yet. The girl stepped forward first. "Agent Todd, I'm Agent Sarah Brown. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise and please call me Kate"

Gibbs stepped up next to Kate and gestured to the remaining team member. "This is Agent McGee."

"Nice to meet you Agent McGee."

McGee nodded his head and shook Kate's offered hand. "Pleasure is all mine."

Kate looked around at the whole team. "Well I guess you'll want to examine the body first. It's over this way." The team followed as she led them through the lobby and into the maze that was the West Wing bullpens.

"I'm supposed to remind you that I am your handler while you are in the White House. Don't touch anything or go anywhere without my permission or another Secret Service Agent. There were four of us on duty outside the Oval Office who will be assisting you in your investigation. Statements have been taken by all the witnesses in the meeting. I've detained all of them and have been keeping them in separate rooms while we waited for your arrival. Everyone who has gone in and out of the room have been wearing gloves and the body has not been moved since the Doctor pronounced Richard dead."

Kate turned the final corner to the Oval Office but stopped just short of going inside. "If you stray without an escort or try anything funny like swapping out the body, I will be forced to place you in Federal custody and I will turn your investigation over to the FBI. Do you all understand?"

Gibbs couldn't prevent the grin that was plastered on his face. She had indeed grown into her position with the Secret Service. Even better, she had remembered his rules. The rules he had forced down her throat the first time they met and she remembered every last one of them.

Kate stepped aside and let the NCIS team into the Oval Office. Gibbs started barking out orders to his team and they immediately flew into action. She watched as Gibbs moved throughout the room, mentally cataloging everything he saw before he turned back to her.

"Agent Todd." Kate interrupted him. "Call me Kate."

Gibbs smiled at her and she thought she might swoon. "Kate, can you tell me what happened."

Kate walked Gibbs through the entire process of the day, detailing the events as she knew them. They walked through the Oval Office waiting area and Assistants room together as Kate talked. Gibbs would sometimes pause and ask a small detail about where the Chief had been standing or when she had first noticed the sweating. Kate had to admire the way he worked. Just like on Air Force One he had moved fast and always seemed to be one step ahead of her.

When they came to Mrs. DeFrehan's desk. Kate paused to introduce them. "Agent Gibbs this is President's first assistant Mrs. DeFrehan. Mrs. DeFrehan, this is Agent Gibbs of the NCIS"

Gibbs looked to the older woman and smiled. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am."

Mrs. DeFrehan smiled right back. "Thank you. Well you're a nice young man." Gibbs scoffed at the idea of being considered young, but Mrs. DeFrehan did appear to be much older than him. "Can I get you some coffee or something to drink while you work?"

"Black coffee would be lovely."

Mrs. DeFrehan moved to complete Gibbs's request and Gibbs looked over her desk. "Was Mrs. DeFrehan here the whole time?"

Kate stepped forward to answer. "Yes. She offered the group something to drink. Then came back here. She discussed the schedule with an aide then stepped inside the office to move the President along. She came out with the prior group and then ussered the Chief's group inside."

Gibbs continued to look over Mrs. DeFrehan's desk and noticed the coffee cup on the corner. He looked at it for a moment before asking, "Did the Chief take any coffee?"

"No. He was drinking his own from his mug. He told me his wife made it for him everyone morning."

Gibbs gestured to the mug on the desk. "Is this his cup?"

Kate nodded her head and silently berated herself for not mentioning it earlier. "Yes. He asked if he could leave it there. He thought his wife would be upset if he lost it."

Gibbs called to Tony in the other room. "Yeah Boss?"

"Make sure you grab this coffee cup before you leave and send it to Abby for a tox screen."

Gibbs stepped up to Kate, placed his hand on her lower back and led her out of the room. "Was there anyone else he talked to regularly, friends, business associates, anyone who would know about the relationship with his wife?"

Kate thought about it for a moment, although it was hard with his hand on her back. "I don't know of anyone in particular but I always talk with Lewis at the front gate. Just to say hello. Most people do because he has been here for so long."

Gibbs looked her over for a minute before calling for Sarah. "Agent Todd is going to escort you to the front gate so you can interview the guards there. See if you can dig up anything on the Chief's relationship with his wife."

Sarah nodded and moved to grab her bag and Kate followed Gibbs around the corner to where some of the witnesses were being held. "I think Agent Pavri would be better suited to escort Sarah to the front gate."

Gibbs turned back to Kate. "Don't you trust me?"

"You tried to hijack Air Force One and switch a body on the FBI. No one in their right mind would leave you alone in the White House."

Gibbs grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Well you have a prior relationship with the guard, Lewis you said his name was, right?"

Kate nodded in acknowledgement.

"That's why you should go. People will be more open during questioning if they know one of the interrogators."

Kate pondered that for a moment. "You're making that up to get rid of me."

Gibbs grin grew bigger. "Nope."

"It sounds really suspicious, what's your ulterior motive?"

"Do I have one?"

"Yes. I really believe you do"

Gibbs took a step forward and into Kate's personal space. As she looked up at him she noticed his eyes had darkened. She inched closer to him as if she was being pulled by a magnet. She could feel their breath mingling as Gibbs reached down and tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

She trembled slightly as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "A woman's physical features always appear best to men while they are walking and I can't admire yours if you are always standing right next to me."

Kate was speechless and she couldn't breath. Had he really just said that? The feminist in her wanted to throttle him for being so disgracefully undignified but the schoolgirl in her was jumping up and down with joy.

Gibbs was nervous. He couldn't tell by Kate's body language if he had gone to far. He certainly hadn't meant to say what he had been thinking. He frowned slightly and panicked at the idea that she might withdraw from him but as Kate glanced up to look him in the eye he realized just how close they still were. Just one step further and…

"You ready?"

Gibbs closed his eyes and took a step back from Kate. His agents always had the worst timing.

Kate couldn't help but feel disappointed as she looked over at Sarah. She desperately wanted to know where that little interaction would have gone if they hadn't been interrupted. She spoke quickly into her sleeve mic, turning away from the NCIS agents in order to hide the flush she knew was taking over her face.

All three of them stood there awkwardly waiting for Gibbs's new escort to arrive. As he did, Kate turned to lead Sarah to the front gate. She couldn't help but look over her shoulder to see if Gibbs was watching her walk away. Her heart skipped a beat as he waved and offered her a sheepish grin. As she turned the corner out of his sight, she allowed herself a sly smile.

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I did steal a situation from Pride and Prejudice the BBC version but I hope you will all forgive me.

Please review if you have time.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

Thanks very much for all the reviews. I was really nervous about the last chapter and I am glad to see that you enjoyed it.

Morton's is a Steak House in Chicago. Let's pretend there is also one in D.C.

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Gibbs watched as Kate led Sarah away. He was sure now that Kate was somewhat attracted to him. She wouldn't have reacted that way if she was disgusted by the idea of him. He stood in the middle of the hallway contemplating this and didn't notice the military party that moved in to surround him.

"Special Agent Gibbs"

Gibbs turned his head to answer. "Yeah"

"Follow me."

Gibbs looked around him. He wasn't in a position to refuse the order seeing as how there were more of them than him. So he nodded and followed the officer down the hallway.

They passed office after office, went up stairwells and down stairwells. Gibbs was about to ask if he could have a map when the Officer stopped at the end of the hallway. It was a concrete hallway with a single desk at the other end. Gibbs looked to the Officer for direction but the Officer just stared back at him.

"This way Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs turned to see a woman standing at the end of the hallway by the desk. He walked towards her slowly. As he reached the woman punched a code into the small keypad on the desk and the wall behind her moved.

"This way please."

If Gibbs hadn't been paying attention before he certainly was now. He stepped into a room that looked like a massive communications center. Sitting in the middle of the room was a man he knew only from television. A marine in his core, Gibbs bit down the immediate reaction to salute. Before him sat the highest-ranking military officer in the country, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Joseph Wayne.

"Mr. Chairman."

"Agent Gibbs. Please sit down."

Gibbs took a seat as the Chairman sat forward in his chair. "Agent Gibbs what I am about to tell you is considered top secret. Chief Warrant Officer Townsley was working directly under my order on a confidential project at the President's request. I need to know immediately if his death was in any way related to the work he was doing here at the White House."

Gibbs nodded his understanding and the Chairman continued. "I want you personally to inspect his office. No one else from your team is to be allowed access. If you have the slightest inkling it was related to his work you will turn the investigation over to myself. Do you understand?'

Gibbs. "Yes sir."

"I understand you have a secret service agent assigned to this investigation until you rule out a threat on the President?"

"Yes sir."

"I'll make sure she is assigned to you full time. Any findings you have she can report."

"Yes sir."

The Chairman stood and motioned for Gibbs to follow him. "I understand that NCIS is here because of the job you did back on Air Force One and I trust Agent Bauer's instincts. This matter is very important to me personally as Chief Townsley was a friend and a damn good soldier. Take care of this Agent Gibbs."

The Chairman stuck out his hand and Gibbs shook it firmly. "I will sir."

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Sarah, Tony, and McGee were currently holed up in the Roosevelt room waiting for Gibbs' return. He has been missing for about 2 hours now. Sarah had long since finished interview the guards at the front gate and Ducky, with Gerald's help, had already removed the body. They were on their way back to Headquarters while the rest of the team waited.

Sarah and McGee were sitting, patiently while Tony walked in circles around the conference table, sporadically looking up at Agent Todd through the windows.

"So what's up with Gibbs and Agent Todd?"

Sarah and McGee both looked over at Tony.

"I mean something is definitely going on."

McGee shook his head and returned to reading over his notes but Sarah spoke up. "You should have seen him when I interrupted them. I mean if looks could kill."

Tony stopped walking right on the other side of the glass from Agent Todd. "But she isn't a red head."

"They don't all have to be red heads." McGee answered.

Sarah spoke up next. "No they don't have to be red heads but they were. All three wives. Anyway, I doubt she would be interested in Gibbs."

"Why not?" Sarah looked over at Tony while he turned around. "Why couldn't she be interested in Gibbs?"

"Tony, girls like Agent Todd don't fall in love with men who could be their father."

"Well, who said he was that old."

"His file Tony. His file says he could be that old."

"You got to read his file?"

Sarah rolled her eyes at Tony's antics. "All I am saying is that women like Kate wouldn't be interested in a man with three failed marriages, whose idea of a good time is working on a boat."

"So it's Kate now huh?" Tony moved to stand right behind Sarah's chair and placed his hands on the arms of her chair. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Well Sarah, I think that Gibbs is exactly the type of man that Kate would be interested in. In fact I am so confident I am right I will place a wager on that."

Sarah pushed her chair back to force Tony to move. His breath on her ear was causing all kinds of distractions and if a wager was going to be discussed, she needed to have her wits about her. She turned her chair around to face him. "What's the stakes?"

Tony leaned over her chair again invading Sarah's personal space. This was the opening he was waiting for and he was going to jump on it. "If I win, and Gibbs and Kate do go on a date, you have to treat me to the dinner of my choice. I think I'd rather enjoy nice steak from Morton's and a bottle of Marimar Torres Pinot Noir to wash it all down."

Sarah considered this for a moment. "And if I win?"

Tony smiled. "I'll cover your paperwork for a week."

"A month"

"Two weeks. That's my final offer."

Sarah pondered this bet for a moment. It was a win-win situation for her. If she lost, dinner with Tony would still be a step in the right direction for her social life. But she didn't want to answer right away because she didn't want Tony to know he had the upper hand in this little arrangement.

Meanwhile, Tony looked at her, eagerly awaiting her answer. She finally stuck her hand out towards him. "Deal."

Tony reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Deal."

As Sarah looked into Tony's eyes she silently hoped that she had pegged Kate wrong because dinner with Tony was not something she wanted to miss out on.

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Kate hummed happily to herself as she stood outside of the Roosevelt room. For a Secret Service Agent she certainly wasn't being very attentive to what was happening around her. All of her thoughts were wrapped up in a silver haired NCIS agent who had all but said he was attracted to her.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she almost missed Agent Bauer moving towards her from the Communications Bullpen. Her heart sank at the thought that he was there to remove her from the case. Even if she had spent almost two hours with Agent Gibbs it wasn't nearly enough time after the year she had waited to see him again.

Kate straightened her back and rose up to her full height. If Agent Bauer was going to make her leave to catch up with Liberty, she was sure as hell going to at least fight to see Gibbs one last time to say goodbye.

"Agent Todd. I have just been informed that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs would like you permanently placed with this NCIS team until the matter of Chief Warrant Officer Townsley's death has been resolved. He wants you to report back on every aspect of the case directly to his office."

Kate looked at Agent Bauer confused. "If an attack on the President isn't indicated in any of the evidence why would the Secret Service be staying involved?"

Agent Bauer looked at Kate for a moment before responding. "Let's just say, we're doing it for a friend who wants to make sure this is handled as carefully as possible."

Kate nodded and willed her body to stop performing somersaults. She was going to be working with Gibbs full time for who knew how long. A million thoughts ran through her mind about what this could mean for them. Perhaps she could find a way to rig the investigation so they had to work together longer.

Agent Bauer moved to stand next to Kate and together they surveyed the actions of the men and women that walked through the hallways. "When you return there is a matter I have been meaning to discuss with you."

Kate moved her head over to look at Agent Bauer. "Sir?"

"It's nothing that can't wait until you get back." He handed her a file, which she gracefully accepted. "This is all the information you need to know about Chief Townsley. Keep it to yourself. Inside is the number for the Chairman. When any new development in the case arises phone him immediately. Keep me updated with your situation at least once a day. Good luck Agent Todd."

Agent Bauer turned and left Kate to herself. She skimmed the file pages, absorbing small details of the Chief's file. After a few minutes she was so involved in the file that she didn't noticed a shadow drift across her face.

"Miss me?"

Kate's head flew up so fast Gibbs thought she might have given herself whiplash.

"Good reading?"

Kate moved to place the folder behind her back. "Yeah. Fine, thanks. Sorry I didn't see you there."

Gibbs chuckled to himself. "Yeah I noticed." Gibbs held up a coffee cup for Kate. "I brought you some coffee."

Kate took the cup from him and as their fingers touched a spark flew up her arm. She shivered slightly and took a sip to calm herself. She smiled into the cup. "How did you know?"

Gibbs just smiled. "A guy has to have his secrets." He paused before continuing. "I hear you are going to be working with us on this case."

Kate nodded. "So it would seem."

"Well it will be good to have you with us. I've called ahead to our Headquarters and requested they get a badge ready for you. You'll have to fill out some paperwork on your gun…"

Kate interrupted him. "Guns."

"Guns?" Gibbs looked Kate up and down.

"Yep."

Gibbs made a twirl symbol with his finger and Kate turned around slowly. "Back, shoulder, ankle?"

Kate shook her head. "A girl has to have her secrets."

Gibbs laughed to himself at her use of his line. "Well ok then. Let's get moving; we have a case to solve."

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Please review if you have time.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

**Authors Notes: **

**1. My Gibbs is going to be a bit more flirty than bastard with Kate. He will still have his bastard moments but he is trying to impress her so think Gibbs with Melissa from "My Other Left Foot"**

**2. In the upcoming chapter(s) you will notice certain lines or situations that have been taken from various episodes of NCIS's first season. In my head, Kate is going to experience some of the same situations the same way she did in the real show. Examples would be like working with Abby for the first time or having to ask similar questions about the investigative process. **

**3. Weekends Only is a very cute place in LA and I stole the name because I think the store is fun**

**4. There is one line from West Wing in here that I needed to use. It was a throwaway line from the first season so I hope no one here cares. Just in case, I don't know Aaron Sorkin and I don't own any of his material, I just borrowed it. **

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Kate pulled into a parking spot, turned off her car and stepped out. The drive to NCIS had been a quick one, but not because of the distance. Kate had decided then and there she would never be following Gibbs anywhere ever again.

"Do you realize how fast you were going?"

She looked over at the sedan the team was piling out of. Tony sent her a goofy grin while Gibbs just looked at her. "You made it didn't you?"

Kate moved to follow the rest of the team into the building. "Yeah but we broke almost 100 traffic citations on the way here."

Gibbs looked over at Kate. "That many?"

"I counted the number of speed limit signs that we passed along the way. As well as the number of times you switched lanes without signaling. Plus the one red light you went through, which if you were curious, was where you almost lost me."

Tony reached the door first and opened it for Kate. "I told you to have one of us ride with you."

"Yes well I didn't realize I might die if I followed Gibbs. Next time I'll be sure to have someone ride shotgun."

The team lined up to pass through a metal detector. One by one they all went through until it was Gibbs's turn. The Security Officer gave Gibbs a smile. "It's a nice day isn't it Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs handed over his gun and passed through the detector. "We'll take care of that in a hurry, won't we Mike?"

Mike laughed and handed Gibbs his weapon back. It was then he turned his attention to Kate. "Well I see you brought your girlfriend to work this morning. It's funny though, she isn't a red head."

Kate and Gibbs both blushed at Mike's mistake. Gibbs regained his composure first and spoke up. "Mike, this isn't my girlfriend. This is Agent Todd from the Secret Service. She's going to be helping us out on a case the next couple of days."

"Oh I'm sorry Agent Todd. Here let me get that for you." Mike leaned over and took Kate's purse from her to place in the x-ray machine.

Gibbs watched carefully as Kate removed her gun and handed it to Mike. "Your backups."

Kate looked at Gibbs. "My what?"

"Your backups. You know…" Gibbs waved his hand a little bit. "A girl has to have some secrets and all that."

Kate just stood there as Mike approached her. "You'll have to hand those over too Ma'am."

Kate glared at Gibbs. "And you expect me to believe you don't have backups?"

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders as Kate removed the gun from her ankle holster and from her back. She also removed the knife she had tucked into her belt. One by one she handed them over to Mike. She turned and kept eye contact with Gibbs as she walked through the medical detector and right up to him. "Quid pro quo?"

Gibbs shook his head and laughed. Kate turned to retrieve her weapons from Mike. As he handed them back to her, he walked her through the procedures. "You'll have to have administration cut you a long term visitor's pass. You should pick that up today so you don't have to keep going through the process. Also make sure you have NCIS issue clearance on your guns."

"Issue clearance?"

Gibbs stepped forward. "It's the equivalent of your no guns on Air Force One beside the Secret Service rule. No weapons are allowed inside NCIS that aren't registered to a cleared NCIS agent or approved before stepping inside the building."

Kate shook her head. "But you just let me through?" Gibbs and Mike shared a smile over Kate's head. "What?"

"Well Agent Todd, sometimes you just have to know the right people."

Gibbs laughed at Mike's response and walked to the elevator. Kate followed quickly not wanting to be left behind. Gibbs moved his body so that his eye could be scanned. The doors opened as a beeping noise sounded.

Kate followed Gibbs into the elevator. "So when do I get my eye scanning pass?"

"You don't."

"Then how will I get up and down floors?"

"Someone will escort you."

Kate nodded her head in playful understanding. "I suppose that someone will be you?"

Gibbs didn't turn to look at her. "I suppose."

The elevator doors opened with a beep. Gibbs walked through first and Kate followed at a close distance. The NCIS offices hadn't changed much. Gibbs's bullpen looked pretty much the same as it had when she was there before.

As they turned the corner, Kate caught the eye of the lab tech she remembered from before, mostly because of the comment about protecting the President from his diet. Kate laughed a little to herself as she recalled the memory and the look on Fornell's face.

She must have laughed a little too loud for Gibbs was giving her a weird look. "What?"

Kate shook her head. "It's nothing I was just remembering something. No big deal."

Gibbs nodded his head and steered Kate over to Abby was now waiting, bouncing up and down on her heels.

"Abby you remember Agent Todd from the Secret Service."

"Sure thing. How goes it?"

"It goes well. How are…"

Before Kate could ask how Abby was Gibbs had interrupted them. "Tony give you everything?"

"Sure did."

"The why are you up here instead of down in your lab running my tests?"

"Relax Gibbs. All the tests you asked for are already running. Besides, a little birdie told me about our newest team member and I felt it was my duty to make her feel welcome."

Gibbs starred at Abby as she looked at him like a daughter looks at her father when she wants something "Fine. You've said hello, now get back to work."

"But Gibbs…"

"Now Abby."

Abby kept Gibbs in a complete stare down as she tried to get him to change his mind. Kate observed their behavior quietly off to the side. The interaction Gibbs had with his agents was interesting to say the least. On Air Force One he had always seamed somewhat playful but this behavior was a bit rougher than she had imagined he would be.

Abby was the first to break away as she normally was. "Fine. I'll go, but don't think I won't get my five minutes with her later and I'll tell her all the horrible things you do to us when you think no one is watching." Abby sent Kate one last smile before skipping away.

Gibbs continued into their office space and Kate followed. He led her to a desk that had been set up for her around the corner from where the team sat together. "This is where you'll be sitting. That's McGee's desk there. I'm across from him with Sarah next to me and Tony across from her."

"Great." Kate placed her purse into the bottom drawer of the desk then turned to Gibbs. "What now?"

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Gibbs and Kate stepped off the elevator. "Where are we?"

Gibbs walked over to the door and opened it for Kate. "Do you get queasy Agent Todd?"

"Queasy?" Kate walked into the room and stopped immediately. There was Ducky, covered in blood with his hands placed in Chief Townsley body. Her body buckled at the sight and she started to gag. Gibbs held on to her and moved her to Ducky's desk where he helped her sit down in the chair.

"Breathe, Kate. Don't forget to breathe."

Kate brought her hands to her face and placed her elbows on her knees. She concentrated on breathing in and out like Gibbs was coaching her to do. She couldn't believe she was freaking out like this. It wasn't the blood that had bothered her. It was knowing that she had just spoken to that man this morning and now he was meat on a slab of metal.

Gibbs softly rubbed his hands in circles on Kate's back. He was cursing himself for surprising her like this. He hadn't meant for this to affect her like that. His guilt was eating away at him as he watched her struggle to regain her breath. He saw Ducky approaching from the corner of his eyes and waved him off. Kate would need a moment to herself before seeing Ducky and he wanted to make sure she got it.

Kate felt like an idiot. She hadn't wanted to appear weak in front of Gibbs and now she didn't know how to recover. She forced herself to sit up straight in the chair and looked up into Gibbs's face. "I'm ok. I was just surprised."

Gibbs patted her on the back. "Sorry I shouldn't have surprised you like that. I need to ask Ducky a few questions, do you want to sit here for a minute?"

"No, I'm ok. I should hear this. The Chairman will want to know the cause of death."

Kate stood up and nodded to Gibbs. She could see his jaw start to move and knew he was about to object. She placed her hand on his arm and he looked down at her. "I promise Gibbs. I am ok."

Gibbs nodded, placed his hand on the small of her back and led her over to Ducky. Ducky removed his hands from the body on the table and stepped back. "Welcome Caitlyn. Sorry about that earlier. Gibbs always likes to plan surprises."

"It's ok Ducky. I'm fine."

Gibbs gently pushed Kate past the body, towards the monitor on the far side of the room. "What have we got Duck?"

"The official cause of death is respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. However when I examined the body I discovered some very unusual things for a cardiac arrest victim."

"Such as?"

Ducky moved back to the body, reached up and grabbed the camera. "Here I'll show you on the monitor." Kate and Gibbs both turned to look at the screen. "You see this is his right lung. There has been serious lung damage that is consistent with a heavy smoker. That damage is consistent in his throat and nose as well."

"That doesn't seem unusual."

Ducky moved the camera out of the way and beckoned Kate and Gibbs over. He moved his arm so it was right next to the Chief's. "Maybe not by itself, but look here. You see the difference in skin color? That's jaundice. It couldn't have been ignored by anyone. His skin would have been yellowing for days based on the amount of damage done to his liver and kidney. In fact all of his vital organs are in some way damaged. I find it hard to believe that they could be this damaged and not have been previously recorded in his medical history."

Kate looked at Ducky. "Is there anything that could have caused that much damage to his organs rapidly?"

Ducky nodded his head. "I'm glad you asked that Caitlyn. I believe our dear friend here was poisoned. I've sent multiple tissue samples to Abby. The question is how he would have been poisoned. Since the damage was to multiple organs, it would be hard to know if he was fed the poison or if he inhaled it."

Gibbs straightened his back. "How long till Abby has the results of the tox screen?"

"She told me about 4 hours."

"Thanks Duck."

Gibbs once again laid his hand on Kate's back to lead her out of autopsy. As they walked away, Ducky spoke up. "Caitlyn, I'm so glad you got passed that unfortunate experience earlier. Do come and see me again sometime. I have tons of stories we could go over about students I've had who have gotten sick before…"

Kate looked over her shoulder and called to Ducky. "Maybe some other time."

As Gibbs and Kate stepped into the elevator Ducky smiled. "Yes. Another time."

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When Gibbs and Kate reached the main office area, Gibbs moved straight to his desk and pushed a few buttons on what looked like a remote. The monitor between McGee's and Tony's desk lit up and the picture of Chief Townsley was displayed.

"What do we know?"

Tony started talking for the group. "Chief Townsley entered into the Marine Corps right after College where he was a member of ROTC."

McGee cut in, "He attended Florida State University where he excelled in bio-engineering and physics. He graduated at the top of his class and spent 3 years doing Graduate work at Yale, earning a Masters in Computer Programming."

Sarah interrupted McGee. "Yale is where he met his wife, then Devorah Pregor. She was a Primary Education student. They dated for two or his three years there before they married. When he graduated, he joined the Corps where he worked as an engineer."

Tony picked up where Sarah left off. "His specialty was in weapons malfunctions. If something was broken he would be the one to fix. There are numerous notes in his file about his building skills."

McGee started in next. "He also developed a lot of software programs for the Marine Corps and worked often with Government Officials on experimental hardware for all of the armed forces."

"After 20 years he was appointed by the President and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to work from the White House on a project that is classified top secret." Sarah finished.

Kate was amazed at how fast the team picked up on what the other team members were saying. They were truly a unit, always one step ahead of each other and always ready to pick up where the other left off. Kate also suspected there was an underlining need to impress Gibbs which is why at some points the junior agents were stepping on each other's toes.

"What do we know about the wife?"

Sarah moved to Gibbs desk and brought up a new picture on the monitor. "Devorah Pregor was 22 when she married the Chief. She taught at Wilhelm's Elementary School until she and the Chief had their first child, Alan. From then she stayed at home for the most part and ran various after school programs for her kids and the neighbors. She is very active in the community, PTA, book clubs, volunteer organizations, and Junior League. Lewis at the White House said that she and the chief would fight regularly. This morning they fought over the dishwasher."

Gibbs nodded. "Anything more serious?"

Sarah shook her head no. "No but Lewis did say that about a week ago the Chief was receiving a lot of calls on his cell phone that Lewis said he refused to answer, insisting the calls were just a wrong number and they would eventually go away."

Gibbs stood from the edge of his desk and moved to sit behind his computer. "Tony, pull his phone…"

Tony stepped forward and laid a file down on Gibbs's desk. "Already did Boss. The number calling in to the Chief's phone is a pre-paid phone card. And before you ask, we traced the number to a card purchased from a local Sam's Club store."

Gibbs raised his hands a little. "Who bought it?"

McGee stepped in for Tony. "We've called the Manager of the store who is pulling receipts from the last two weeks but unless they paid with a credit or debit card there isn't a way to track the buyer."

Gibbs sighed. "What about his financial records?"

Sarah spoke up first this time. "Nothing out of the ordinary. He actually had excellent finances. Did you know if you place stock on…" Gibbs growled at Sarah's getting off of topic. "Sorry Gibbs. He did have multiple credit cards with only his name on it. His wife wouldn't ever have known about them."

Tony cut in. "One of those credit cards was used to purchase multiple products from a store called Weekends Only."

Kate interrupted Tony. "I know that store. It's a cute boutique in Georgetown. Very high-end stuff. They sell some clothes, but mostly accessories and lots of jewelry; all hand crafted."

Gibbs turned back to Tony, "What did he buy?"

Sarah shook her head. "Don't know. The records don't list the item but each purchase was substantial."

"How much is substantial?" Kate asked.

"A couple hundred. It isn't the price of the individual object but more how many there are."

"Could they be gifts? Maybe to his wife as an apology?"

Gibbs looked resigned. "Tony, you and Sarah hit the store and try to discover what he bought. McGee, you keep working on the pre paid card angle."

The gang started to move at Gibbs's orders. McGee sat back at his desk and started to thumb through the paperwork. Tony and Sarah grabbed their bags and moved towards the elevators. Kate had just turned to sit at her desk when Gibbs grabbed her shoulder. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Kate followed Gibbs towards the back stairwell.

"To talk to his wife."

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Kate sighed to herself as Gibbs sped around the corner. She angled her head slightly to see the speedometer. Her eyes bulged as she noticed he was driving 15mph over the speed limit. As he shifted lanes and prepared to turn again, Kate grabbed the side of the vehicle and closed her eyes. She waited for her stomach to settle before she opened her eyes again.

Gibbs smiled as he watched Kate out of the corner of his eyes. He saw her grimace as he pressed his foot down a little harder on the gas. It was a game he had decided earlier in the drive. A game to see how much she could take before she said something. As he prepared to take yet another high-speed turn, Kate finally spoke up.

"You need to slow down." Gibbs pretended not to hear her. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Nope."

Gibbs took the sharp corner and Kate swore the car had actually lifted off the ground. "Seriously Gibbs, you have to slow down."

"Kate high speeds are good for you."

"In what way could dying at incredible speeds be good for you?"

"Builds character. Besides what's good about being a federal agent without driving fast? Certainly not the health insurance." Kate laughed. He was certainly right about that. "Besides Kate, you need to relax. Don't you trust me?"

"I feel like we have been through this line of questioning before."

Gibbs smiled as he took his eyes off the road to look at Kate. "That we have."

As Gibbs pulled his car into a driveway and turned off the engine, Kate surveyed the neighborhood. Each house had a lovely sculpted yard and most of the neighbors had evidence of kids; swings in the front yards or toys scattered around the place.

"This looks like something out of a picture. Like Growing Pains or something" Gibbs looked over at Kate puzzled before shutting the door to the car. "You know, the TV show?" Gibbs shook his head. "Why does that not surprise me?"

They walked up to the door but Kate stopped Gibbs before he rang the doorbell. "What exactly do I do?"

Gibbs turned to her. "Watch her body language. Observe the space around you. Make a profile on her so when we leave here we know as much about her as we can."

Kate nodded and tried to make herself look more confident. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She had been waiting months to impress this man and her first few times to impress him had been sadly lacking. Well that was if she counted the autopsy room, which at this point in time she was unwilling to do.

This could be her chance. Her chance to help with the investigation instead of just following everyone around like a puppy. Kate's fists closed together tightly as she evened out her breathing. She could do this. She was a damn good profiler and she would prove it right here.

"You ready?"

Kate looked up at Gibbs and nodded. She was ready.

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Sorry this took so long to get out. I had a mixture of writers block and real life drama going on that I had to take a little while to make sure this was right.

The writer's block was pretty stupid for some reason I couldn't start this chapter. I knew exactly where it needed to go but I couldn't get them inside NCIS. Finally watching an episode of West Wing helped.

While trying to cure myself of my writer's block I worked on Gibbs and Kate's first kiss, which helped get the creative juices flowing. I thought I might give you a small preview now for fun….

_Kate knew that is she was ever granted the chance to remain in one moment forever this would be the moment she would choose. The kiss was slow and gentle, but was somewhat demanding. When Gibbs broke off the kiss they were both left standing breathless. _


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of NCIS, CBS, and Paramount. Lucky them.

Author's Note: I don't know about Gibbs's family. So let's assume that his mother is still alive.

I based the small Italian restaurant after one of my family's favorite places to go in Florida. Getano does really call women "Bellas" which I always thought was really cute.

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Devorah Townsley sat alone in her kitchen as others passed by. She was moving through the day as a robot. If someone offered her a glass of water, she drank it. If someone handed her a tissue, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Those were the minor tasks she could complete today. But when it came to picking up her children from school or making dinner for the guests who had come to sympathize with her, Devorah just couldn't handle it.

Her girlfriends from around the neighborhood had pitched in to help her once they heard the news. Cynthia from across the street had gone to pick up the kids from school; Michelle from down the street was planning to keep the kids overnight so Devorah could have some time alone. But Joanie from next door had been the biggest help of all. She had arrived just after Devorah had heard the news. She had handled everything during the day and was in the midst of making some pasta for dinner for Devorah when the doorbell rang.

Devorah looked at the door then turned back to Joanie silently asking her to handle it. So Joanie wiped her hands on a towel and moved to open the door. The door swung open.

Joanie stood there and looked Kate and Gibbs. "Can I help you?"

Gibbs held up his badge for Joanie to see. "NCIS Ma'am. I'm Special Agent Gibbs, this is Special Agent Caitlyn Todd from the Secret Service."

Joanie briefly glanced at Kate's credentials before she returned her attention to Gibbs. "I suppose you need to talk to Devorah. Come on inside." Joanie opened the door wide enough for both Kate and Gibbs to enter the house. "Can I take your coats for you or get you something to drink?"

Gibbs and Kate both shook their heads so Joanie continued into the living room. "Why don't you take a seat? I'll just grab Devorah for you."

Kate and Gibbs both took a moment to walk around the room. It was a fairly large space, very clean, with lots of windows that would provide excellent light during the day. There was a piano in the corner of the room and family photos on the fire mantel and also on the side lamp tables.

Kate smiled while looking down at one of the photos of the family together. They were sitting outside on the beach, by sand dunes. They all looked very happy and content to be with each other.

"That was two years ago. We went to Florida for vacation. The kids loved the water and Richard spent two days trying to teach the kids to body surf. They were like fish."

Kate looked up surprised at Devorah. "It's a very nice photo."

Devorah took the frame from Kate's hands and looked down at it. "Thank you. It was one of Richard's favorites. He had the same one on his desk at work. He always showed it off when we had visitors over." Devorah placed the photo back down on the side table. "Well, why don't you both have a seat? Can I get you anything?"

Kate and Gibbs sat down on the sofa as Devorah sat down in the sofa chair. "No Ma'am. Is this a bad time? We can come back."

"No this is fine. I'd just assume get this out of the way. I take it your presence here is routine since Richard died of natural causes."

Kate glanced over at Gibbs quickly before answering. "We just have a few questions we would like to ask you."

Devorah nodded. "That's fine."

Gibbs started off the questions. "What can you tell me about your marriage to Chief Townsley."

Devorah smiled. "I met Richard when I was a student at college. He was a charmer and I fell for it then and I even after 23 years I still fell for it. He had a smile like you wouldn't believe."

"Did you fight at all?"

"Often. Most marriages have their arguments. I certainly didn't think any of them were serious. Most of them were about superficial things. He was always really messy and lately he hadn't been keeping up with his chores. I guess I was too hard on him. I know he has his job and his own worries there, but after running the kids around all day I hated coming and picking up after him." Devorah looked out the window over the yard, "I was probably too hard on him. I had definitive ideas about married life should be and it was much more of a challenge that I had expected."

Kate leaned forward. "How so?"

"I suppose I wanted something out of the movies. It was like that for the most part. He spent all of his time here with the kids and me. But as his career grew, we grew apart. I hated it but I eventually learned to accept it. We were still in love but lately he seemed more withdrawn and distant."

"Do you think that was because of his work?"

"I don't know. After his appointment to the White House I never knew what projects he was working on. He was very strict about confidential materials. I do know that is was stressful for him lately. He worked a lot of late nights."

Gibbs took over. "When was the last time you saw your husband?"

"This morning around 8:15. We were both running late and got into a fight about the dishwasher. It was his turn to empty it and he hadn't gotten to it yet. I wish I could have taken that back."

"What was his normal morning routine?"

"We'd wake up together, I'd get the kids ready while he got ready for work. I always made breakfast and his cup of coffee that went with him to the office."

Gibbs stood and walked over to the window as Devorah finished. "That is a nice garden you have out there Mrs. Townsley."

"Thank you. I work hard on it." She paused for a moment. "Agent Gibbs. Do you suspect my husband was murdered?"

Gibbs continued to stare out the window so Kate responded. "Do you think he was?"

"I don't think so. I can't imagine that anyone who want to hurt him."

"We should probably get the names of some of your neighbors. Those that were closest to him."

"Sure. Joanie and Mark were the closest. As well as Peter across the street. Peter, Mark and Richard had a poker club with some of the other neighbors. They would meet up about once a week for a game. Normally on Fridays."

"Would you and the other wives get together during the games?"

"No. At first I tried to organize something but the girls were so social they normally had other things going on. Soon I just stopped trying. I took the time to relax, watch a movie or something. Sometimes the kids and I would go out to dinner."

Gibbs turned around to look at Devorah. "Where was the poker game?"

"Down the street. Carl would normally host as Betty is the best cook in town."

"We're going to need the names of all the members of the poker club."

"Sure." Devorah called into the kitchen, "Joanie!"

Joanie came around the corner, fairly quickly Kate noted. "Hey."

"Can you bring me a pen and some paper? I need to write down some information for Agent Gibbs here."

"Sure." Joanie disappeared for a moment then brought the pen and paper to Devorah. While Devorah wrote down the information Gibbs asked for, Joanie turned to Gibbs and Kate. "I just finished dinner, would you like some for the road?"

"I could use some water actually." Kate moved towards where she suspected the kitchen was. "Could you point me in the right direction?"

"Sure. Why don't you just follow me." Kate turned her head and shot Gibbs a smile before she moved to follow Joanie into the kitchen.

"So you and your husband, Mark was it? Joanie nodded. "Must be close with the Townsley's"

"Yeah we are. We've been neighbors for years."

"It must be nice. I barely speak with any of my neighbors. My next-door neighbor has a million cats running around. It's almost something out of movie, like _100 Dalmatians _only with cats."

"Well, it's a pretty close community here. We have lots of neighborhood activities for the kids and some parties as well. Plus a lot of the women are military wives and it's just easier to talk about it with people who understand."

"Your husband is also military then?"

"Yes. He's currently working out of the Pentagon. Do you mind if I ask what a Secret Service agent is doing here?"

"Well, since Chief Townsley died inside the White House, we'll keep our eye on the investigation until an attack on the President is ruled out."

"You think Richard's death was an attack?"

"No. It's just routine. There hasn't been anything to suggest Chief Townsley's death was anything but natural." Kate watched Joanie closely as she lied to her. She was a little disappointed to not see any change in posture or eye movement to signify that Joanie knew more than she was saying.

Kate put her glass down on the table and felt around her pockets as Joanie turned to dish out the salad. "Listen, you wouldn't have a cigarette on you would you? I must have run out this morning."

Joanie turned to look back at Kate. "I don't but it wouldn't matter. Devorah would kill you for smoking inside the house."

"Really? She made Richard smoke outside?"

"Richard didn't smoke. His father died of lung cancer at a young age and Richard always said he would never do that to his kids." Joanie turned back to continue serving. "What made you think he was a smoker?"

Kate brushed off the question. "You know I just assume. Bad habit."

Joanie nodded her head suspiciously as Kate downed the rest of her water. She was just about to excuse herself back into the living room when she heard Gibbs call her name.

"Be right there." Kate moved to the sink and rinsed out her glass. "It was nice meeting you."

Joanie wiped her hands off on a towel and shook Kate's hand. "Nice to meet you too."

Kate moved into the living room and said her goodbyes to Devorah. She and Gibbs were about to make a step outside when the door swung open. A middle-aged gentleman stopped in the door and stared at Gibbs. "Who are you?"

Devorah moved to hug the man in the doorway. "Mark. This is Agent Gibbs of NCIS and Agent Todd from the Secret Service. They just wanted to ask me a few questions."

Mark moved to shake each of their hands. "Right. It's nice to meet you. I take it you're leaving?" At Kate's nod, "I'll walk to your car." Mark moved aside so Kate and Gibbs could pass him. "Make sure that Joanie saves me some of her pasta."

Kate waved slightly to Devorah as she responded to Mark. "I will. Thank you Agent Gibbs, Agent Todd. I'll call you if I think anything else will come in handy."

Gibbs nodded his thanks as Devorah shut the door. Once it was fully closed he turned his attention to Mark who was speaking quietly to Kate. "I assume you're presence here means there is more to Richard's death then appears."

"Yes. We think it is possible that Richard was poisoned."

"Poisoned? I can't imagine anyone wanting to do that."

"Did you know about the project he was working on at the White House?"

"Sure I did. I was his counterpart at the Pentagon. We worked together on it for months before it became an isolated project for him. He had the computer knowledge I didn't and so I was moved onto a different project. I always suspected it was because our bosses thought I was slowing the work down."

"Do you know of anyone else who was removed from the project?"

"No. There weren't many people in on it to begin with."

Kate spoke up this time. "We understand you and Chief Townsley were members of a poker club?"

Mark laughed. "Yes. We would get together every once in awhile for some laughs. Money never changed hands though. Our wives wouldn't have approved of that. Listen I should really get inside."

Gibbs pulled his card out of his wallet and handed it to Mark. "If you think of anything that might be relevant, please let us know."

"I will. Take care." Mark turned on his heel and walked to the door. He watched as Kate and Gibbs climbed in the car and drove away.

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"So. What did you get out of that?"

It had been a few minutes since they had pulled out of the Townsley's driveway and back onto the highway before Gibbs spoke. Kate had been silently running over the events of the past hour in her head. "Well Richard Townsley was no smoker. Joanie made it very clear that he would never considered smoking enough to have the damage to his lungs that he did. His wife seemed very honest and open but not overly emotional. Perhaps too calm considering the love she wanted us to think she had for her husband."

Gibbs nodded. "When we get the tox screen back from Abby it will help us narrow down a list of suspects."

"I think that both Joanie and Mark should be on our short list. Mark could have been angry about being removed from their project and something is off about Joanie. She was definitely eavesdropping in from the kitchen while we talked to Devorah."

'She could have just been curious."

"No. Something tells me it is more than that."

They rode on in silence for a moment until Gibbs cell phone rang sharply filling the car with noise. He opened the flap and answered, "Gibbs."

Kate couldn't hear the other end of the conversation so she turned her head to look out the window. The sun was setting in the distance and the rocking of the car was very relaxing. She was about the close her eyes when Gibbs hung up.

"That was Abby. She said the test results won't be ready until the morning." Gibbs hesitated, not sure if he should say what was on his mind, but when Kate looked over at him he knew he had to. "Did you want to grab dinner before going home?" At Kate's pause he continued, "You know just to go over the case."

Kate smiled to herself. She turned to look back out the window and didn't dare turn to look at Gibbs for fear he would see the blush creeping onto her skin. Was he asking her out on a date? Maybe it wasn't a date but it was still an opportunity to eat dinner alone with Gibbs, which was more than she could have asked for. "Sure. I am a little hungry."

Kate finally turned to look at Gibbs and saw him smiling at her. "How do you feel about Italian?"

"Italian's good."

Gibbs moved the car into the left lane and made a quick u-turn. "I know just the place to go."

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Gibbs held the door open for Kate and ushered her inside the restaurant. Getano, a small, older Italian man, met them at the front door. "Signor Jethro! How lovely to see you again" Gibbs shook Getano's hand. "It has been too long since we have seen you. Maria has missed you." Getano turned his attention to Kate. "And look here you have brought yourself a beautiful date." Getano took Kate's hand and gave it a small kiss. "Bella, it's nice to see you. Come this way, I have just the table for you."

Getano kept his hold of Kate's hand as he led her through the restaurant. As Kate slid into the chair, Getano picked up her napkin and laid it on her lap. Then turned to Gibbs. "I have saved your favorite bottle for you. I'll have Tony come right out." Getano smiled over at Kate before he walked away.

Kate took a quick glance around the table. "He didn't leave us any menus."

Gibbs smiled as Getano returned with a bottle of wine. "There isn't one."

Kate shot Gibbs a look before turning her attention to Getano who had started to speak. "Signor always asks for this particular wine so I keep some bottles on hand." He poured Kate some wine then turned to pour for Gibbs. "What would you like to start with. I can make the nice crab for the Signorina."

Gibbs nodded. "I think we'd like some of the potatoes and some eggplant as well."

"Wonderful. Wonderful." Getano flagged down the younger man passing by the table. "Tony! It's Signor Gibbs. Say hello."

Tony walked over to the table. "Sir. Wonderful to see you again." He turned to Kate. "And who is this?"

Gibbs introduced Kate to Tony. "This is Caitlyn Todd. Kate, this is Tony, Getano and Maria's son."

Kate stretched out her hand to shake Tony's. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well." Tony turned to Gibbs. "I'll be back with the salad and bread." Getano and Tony hurried off to attend to other customers. For a weeknight, the restaurant was bustling with business.

Gibbs lifted up his wine glass and held it out to Kate. "Here's to good company."

Kate smiled over at Gibbs. "Here here." They clinked their glasses together and took a small sip. "So is this your typical first date spot?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"I've only brought one other woman here before."

"Really?"

"Um hm. I came here for the first time with my mother. She met Maria, Getano's wife and the cook here in the supermarket. I loved the atmosphere here so I have been coming back for almost 5 years.

"I see." Kate blushed at happiness to think that she had been let into his life in this way. It wasn't much, but you could tell this place was special and she was thrilled he had introduced her to it. "It nice to have a small place like this where they consider you family."

Gibbs nodded in agreement with Kate and took another sip of wine. "I have to admit at first I was bit skeptical when my mother explained to me. But Maria does a wonderful job and I can't imagine it without her."

"How does the no menu thing work?"

"Well, Getano or Tony will bring around a cart full of fresh cuts of meat and they show you what they can do. As he likes to say 'I'll cook it for you, anyway you want it.'"

Kate and Gibbs laughed together at Gibbs's impression of Getano just as their first course arrived. One by one, Getano placed a few dishes on the table. He moved his hands over each plate as he explained them to Kate. "This Signorina is the stuffed eggplant, the potatoes, some salad and bread for you and Signor's favorite. Crab with amaretto sauce. Enjoy."

Kate's mouth watered at the sight in front of her. Everything looked delicious. Gibbs picked up her plate and started dishing out a little bit of everything. "Well what do you recommend I try first?"

"My favorite." Gibbs used a fork and pointed to the pink pile of meat on her plate. "It's a cream sauce with a light kick of amaretto."

Kate placed her fork in her mouth and sighed. This was truly one of the best things she had ever tasted in her life. The crab melted in her mouth and she closed her eyes briefly.

Gibbs grinned madly as he watched her. He truthfully hadn't brought anyone else but Lauren here and she hadn't taken to the lack of menu well. You had to trust Getano to know what you would like and Lauren was never big on trust. Gibbs had a feeling that Kate would enjoy the atmosphere here and was glad he had taken the chance. Just the look on her face as she savored the taste. His eyes were drawn to her lips and it was all he could do to not jump over the table and kiss her.

Kate opened her eyes to see Gibbs watching her closely. His eyes were darting back and forth between her eyes and her lips. Since she had his interest, she picked up another bite with her fork and placed it in her mouth. She looked him in the eye as she ate slowly. She had never tried to flirt by eating and hoped against hope she was making a fool out of herself.

Gibbs swallowed hard. He knew Kate had caught him staring and she was making him pay for it. He tried to concentrate on his own food but when her tongue just slightly ran over her lips, he ended up gripping his napkin in order to keep his hands to himself. Soon the food was gone, being washed away with their second glass of wine. It was then that Getano reappeared with a cart.

"Did you enjoy Signorina?"

Kate nodded. "That was wonderful. Thank you."

Tony started to remove their dishes from the table and brought out clean plates. Getano moved his cart so all the meat was right next to Kate. "Now for dinner, I have a lovely veal cut tonight, also some mussels, clams, lobster." As he went though all the food, he would pull out different meat cuts to show them. Kate laughed at Gibbs face, when Getano shoved a 2-½ lobster at him. Kate ended up ordering a seafood melody over pasta with the same amaretto sauce used in the crab and Gibbs ordered the same but with a red marinara sauce.

Time passed easily for both of them as they slipped into easy conversation. They talked about the simple things, their favorites movies, and favorite music. They stayed away from politics and current events, choosing to enjoy each other on a basic level. It was after their meal was over and the other patrons left the restaurant that Gibbs finally asked Kate what he had been meaning to all night.

"Do you like boats?"

Kate looked up at the question. "You mean sail boats?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think I've ever really been. I love the water though."

"Well she isn't actually built yet."

"You're building her?"

"In my basement."

Kate paused to consider this new information. She didn't know why but this bit of information seemed much more important that the others, like there was a lot riding on the way she handled this line of conversation. "How are you planning on getting her out?" Gibbs just shrugged his shoulders so Kate continued. "Well I've never worked on a boat before so I guess you'll just have to show me how to sometime."

Gibbs smiled at her and Kate knew whatever test or hesitation was there before was gone now. Gibbs shared Kate stories about his cabin in the woods and his summers spent there as a kid.

"I can see that." Kate leaned forward in her chair and picked up her glass of wine. "I can see you on the lake, fishing or just relaxing on the porch." She took a sip before continuing, "How often do you go there?"

"Only a few times a year. Not nearly as much as I'd like to."

"You seem to really enjoy nature."

Gibbs put both of his palms on the table and reached for Kate's across the way. Her hand felt smooth against his textured and rough skin. He rubbs in the inside of her palm and looked into her eyes. "It's about using your own hands to make something. With the boat, my body can feel the work that goes into each plank of wood. At the cabin my hands catch dinner and make breakfast. It's the best satisfaction you could get anywhere."

Kate watched as Gibbs continued to run his fingers over her palm. A chill went up her spine as she imagined what those hands would feel like over different parts of her body. Immediately her face flushed and she looked away from him.

Gibbs sensed Kate was pulling away so he released her hand and reached for his wallet. He laid a few bills on the table and stood up. "I guess we should move along. Let Getano get some sleep."

Kate nodded and grabbed her purse. As they walked out of the restaurant, Kate grabbed Gibbs hand and held on to it as they made their way out to his car. They drove back to NCIS in silence.

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When they arrived at NCIS, Gibbs pulled his car right up next to hers. He cut the engine then ran around to her door to open it for her. Kate thanked him quietly and turned to open her own car door. She threw her purse into the passenger seat and was about to settle into her seat when Gibbs stopped her. She turned to look at him, resting her back against the side of the car.

She watched as Gibbs struggled to say what he wanted to say. His lips opened and closed for what seemed like an eternity. Gibbs finally looked her in the eye. "I'm much older than you."

Kate took Gibbs's hand in her own. "I don't have a problem with you being older." She smiled shyly at Gibbs as she continued. "But I do have to ask. What was it like growing up in the depression and when exactly did your military career end, Revolutionary War or Civil?"

Gibbs laughed out loud and moved to brush aside a piece of hair that had been blown into Kate's face. He watched as her mouth formed all the words she was saying to tease him about his age but he couldn't pay attention to what they were exactly. If she was ok with the age difference then that left only one more thing to do. Without thinking about it he leaned his head into hers and their lips brushed.

"…Gibbs"

Saying his name had turned an innocent touch of the lips into a full on kiss. Soon neither of them could stop. Hands were moving everywhere as they tried to breathe life into each other. This was a kiss that spoke of deep affection along with a controlled passion. Was this what they had been missing for that full year?

Gibbs shivered with pleasure as he felt Kate's mouth open wider to accommodate him. All rational thoughts flew out of his head and every part of his brain filled with thoughts of Kate. This was just perfect; they were perfect.

Kate knew that is she was ever granted the chance to remain in one moment forever this would be the moment she would choose. The kiss was slow and gentle, but demanding. When Gibbs broke off the kiss they were both left standing breathless.

However when his eyes met hers, she had looked up at him with such trust in her eyes that he kissed her again. The second kiss, like the first was filled with such tenderness that it warmed their whole bodies down to their toes.

When they finally broke away from each other, both of their faces were flush with warmth. Gibbs was reluctant to see Kate move away from him so they stood there together holding hands, their foreheads pressed against each other's.

Kate was the first to move away. "I should go and write up a report for the Chairman."

Gibbs took a step back from her. "Yeah. I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

Kate nodded and climbed into her car. "Thank you for dinner. I had a great time."

"Me too." Gibbs stood off to the side as she shut her door and started her car. Kate rolled down the window and called good night to him as she drove out of the parking lot. Gibbs watched her car until she made a turn and was out of sight.

He would deny it if anyone ever asked him, but Special Agent Jethro Gibbs skipped to his car that night and hummed all the way home.

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Sorry that took so long! I hope it was worth the wait for you guys.

Please review if you have time!


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